FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed that players who cover their mouths during verbal altercations that are racist in nature should be shown a straight red card.
The proposal comes after Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni allegedly subjected Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior to racial abuse. Infantino believes there should be a “presumption” of guilt, arguing that the act of hiding one’s lips should be considered sufficient evidence of offensive intent.
The flashpoint that triggered a FIFA response
The catalyst for this potential rule change was an ugly incident during the first leg of the Champions League knockout play-off between Real Madrid and Benfica. Gianluca Prestianni allegedly directed a racial slur towards Vinicius Junior, but the exact language used remains a subject of intense debate because the Argentinian covered his mouth with his shirt. Shortly after the match, the Brazilian star issued a statement calling his abusers “cowards” for hiding behind their jerseys.
Infantino pushes for ‘presumption of guilt’
Speaking to Sky News, the FIFA chief made his position clear on the matter: “If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously. There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn’t have said, otherwise he wouldn’t have had to cover his mouth. There are situations which we did not foresee. Of course, when you deal with a disciplinary case, you have to analyze the situation, you have to have evidence, but we cannot just be satisfied with that going forward.”
Infantino further justified his hardline stance by questioning the motives of anyone who obscures their speech on the pitch. “I simply do not understand if you don’t have something to hide, you don´t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that. And these are actions that we can take and we have to take in order to be serious about our fight against racism. We need to act and to be decisive and it has to have a deterrent effect. Maybe we should also think about not just punishing, but also somehow allowing, changing our culture, allowing players or whoever does something to apologise,” he added, suggesting a path for redemption through remorse.
IFAB announces consultation on mouth-covering habit
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has confirmed it is listening to the president’s concerns. Following their Annual General Meeting, the lawmakers announced a formal consultation on measures to tackle discrimination, specifically focusing on the mouth-covering habit that has become common among modern footballers. Any changes to the laws of the game would likely be ratified and implemented in time for the 2026 World Cup, marking a significant shift in how on-field dialogue is monitored by officials.
Infantino remains adamant that football must lead the way in social change rather than using societal problems as an excuse for inaction. He added: “You can do things that you don’t want to do in a moment of anger [and] apologise and then the sanction has to be different, to move one step further and maybe we should think about something like that as well. We have to stop racism. We cannot just be satisfied by saying ‘well, it’s a problem in society, so we cannot do anything about it except what we are already doing.'”
Mourinho emphasizes the ‘presumption of innocence’
The allegations drew commentary from Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, who initially faced backlash for suggesting Vinicius had incited the crowd with his goal celebrations. During a recent press conference, Mourinho clarified his position, promising severe consequences toward Prestianni if the allegations are proven, while emphasizing the importance of due process.
“I am not a lawyer, but I am not ignorant either. Is the presumption of innocence a human right or not?” Mourinho stated. “If the player is indeed guilty, I will never look at him the way I looked at him before, and with me, it’s over. But I have to put many ‘ifs’ in front of it.”
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